This invention relates to tools and methods for repairing circular and other curvilinear rims and, more particularly, to a tool and method for trueing damaged, bent areas of wheel rims such as those for bicycles, motorcycles, and the like.
The rims of wheels of bicycles, motorcycles, and other vehicles are often bent or damaged when the bicycle, motorcycle, or other vehicle is involved in an accident or a wheel strikes a curb, chuckhole, or other object. Such damage normally results in a flat area along its circumference. In the past, to repair such bends or flat areas, it has been necessary to completely remove the wheel including the rim from the bicycle or motorcycle, and also to remove the tire from the rim. Thereafter, in one method, the disassembled wheel was supported by its central axle and a strap or the like fastened about the damaged area. While the axle was held securely, the strap or the like was pulled outwardly to move the damaged portion.
It has recently been discovered, however, that such prior apparatus tended to stress many other parts of the wheel other than the damaged area. Such uncontrolled stress caused new bends or flat spots, preventing the wheel from being completely trued to its original circular condition, and even bending or breaking spokes which were previously undamaged. In addition, it was impossible to accurately gauge how far the damaged portion was being bent such that the wheel could be trued exactly. It was instead necessary to only roughly estimate how far the bent portion was pulled outwardly oftentimes resulting in inaccurate repairing of the rim.
The present invention was developed in recognition of and as a solution to the above problems.